2 Brooklyn Men Charged in Home Invasion, Police Shooting

Renhang Qui is charged with burglary, attempted robbery and criminal possession of a weapon. His alleged accomplice, Cong Xu, had to be hospitalized following his arrest.

Two Brooklyn men accused of a burglary in New Hyde Park that ended with the shooting of a Nassau County police officer both pleaded not guilty at separate arraignments Thursday.

Both were ordered held without bail and are due back in court Monday.

The duo, 21-year-old Cong Xu and 22-year-old Renhang Qiu, were charged with burglary, attempted robbery and criminal possession of a weapon.

Xu, who was also charged with attempted murder of a police officer after he allegedly shot 32-year-old Third Precinct officer Mohit Arora in the right hip, was arraigned at a hospital, where he’s being treated for an injury to his ear.

Arora underwent surgery Wednesday morning and was recovering at the hospital. He was listed in stable condition.

Arora was among the first officers to respond to the Campbell Street home after the home owners became startled by noises in the house and dialed 911. Xu and Qiu were exiting the house when police arrived and “thought they would surrender,” a police spokesman said.

But the two men fled the scene instead, and as they were running, Xu allegedly turned back toward police and fired several rounds under his shoulder, striking Arora in the abdomen, police said. It was unclear how many shots were fired, but the officers returned fire, police said.

Arora underwent surgery Wednesday morning and was recovering at the hospital. He was listed in stable condition.

Officers chased Xu through a nearby schoolyard and eventually apprehended him on Flower Lane and Nugent Street, police said. Qiu was nabbed on Lakeville Road and Sylvia Lane.

Xu, who suffered an injury to his ear, was taken to Nassau University Medical Center for treatment, police said.

“I commend Officer Arora and responding officers who swiftly arrested the perpetrators while protecting our residents,” said Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano, adding that he met with the officer in the hospital.

The motive for the home invasion is still under investigation, though police “believe this wasn’t random, that they were targeted,” the spokesman said. Police did not say if the pair knew the victims. Nothing was taken from the house.

The incident shocked nearby residents, many of whom were awakened by sounds of gunfire.

Joe Owens, who has lived on Nugent Street for 50 years, described several loud shots—”bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,” he said—but thought they were firecrackers.

“Never in a million years [are you] thinking they were gunshots,” he said.

Qiu will be arraigned at First District Court in Hempstead, but a date hasn’t been announced. Xu will make his first court appearance when he’s healthy enough to do so.

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Rashed Mian has been covering local news for the Long Island Press since 2011. He graduated from Hofstra University in 2010 where he studied print journalism. Rashed, the staff's multimedia reporter, covers daily news for the web, shoots/edits feature videos and occasionally writes about civil liberties. He loves Afghan food and sports. Rashed is also a caffeine freak. Email: rmian@longislandpress.com. Twitter: rashedmian

FacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditPrintE-mail A Brooklyn man has admitted to shooting a Nassau County police officer while the attacker fled a New Hyde Park home invasion two years ago. Cong Xu pleaded guilty Tuesday at Nassau County court to assault and [...]

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